"Trust Me. We Can Co-create (and Not Co-destroy)": Energy Communities Building Sustainable Future

In a global environment shaped by a lack of citizen trust in government, it is essential to better understand the relationships between the actors of energy communities in order to promote renewable energy co-production for the energy transition. In this regard, this study investigated how citizens’ trust in actors within the energy community fosters value co-creation and mitigates value co-destruction. Adopting a qualitative approach, a case study was conducted in the energy community initiated by the first photovoltaic energy cooperative in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Interviews were carried out with the renewable cooperative, 12 cooperative members, and six institutional actors from the community, in addition to document analysis involving 18 organizations. The content analysis was based on three stages of trust, namely calculus-based, knowledge-based, and identification-based, and on three practices: helping, paying, and informing. The results show that identification-based trust, primarily grounded in close interpersonal relationships, promotes the co-production of renewable energy and the co-creation of value. This high level of trust can be extended to the energy cooperative. Knowledgebased trust also plays a significant role, particularly in interactions between cooperative members and public or private organizations. However, even the high stage of trust does not eliminate the risk of value co-destruction. One of the study’s key contributions is the emphasis on the strategic role of trust intermediaries, such as local leaders and cooperatives, who act as catalysts in the energy transition. For future research, we suggest deepening the investigation into the role of intermediaries in trust networks related to value co-creation and co-destruction. It is also recommended to explore how social innovation contributes to the energy transition and to the inclusion of vulnerable groups.